Climate Resilience for Local Communities
Climate Resilience for Local Communities
The Adapt-action Web Tool
The Issue / Idea
How do municipalities adapt to a changing climate? How can they become more climate resilient?
The Project
After extensive research to determine the best way to help municipalities, the Adapt-action tool was created – a web-based decision-support tool for municipalities seeking guidance in taking action regarding climate change adaptation.
Adapt-action guides you through the climate change issues of adapting to water scarcity and adapting to flooding. Each is outlined from the environmental changes you will see, to the implications for your community, through to the strategies you can employ to adapt and become more climate resilient.
As you navigate through each issue narrative, you will be able to view and collect information about: predicted climate change impacts and their effects; implications of these impacts on agriculture, health, recreation, infrastructure and biodiversity in your community; and what your municipality can do to prepare and adapt to these expected changes.
The research and tool development were undertaken as part of ABMI’s Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation project
Adapt-action Web Site
Adapt-action Overview
Research Reports – Year 1
Research Reports – Year 2
Research Reports – Year 3
(Did we miss something important? Let us know!)
Organization
This project was undertaken by
Status
This was a multi-pronged research project begun in 2012, culminating in the release of Adapt-action in
April 2014
Supporters
ABMI Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation Project
Municipal Management of Water Bodies
Municipal Management of Water Bodies
Part 2 of the Municipalities and Environmental Law Series
The Issue / Idea
Municipalities need to better understand what authority they have to regulate the water bodies within their boundaries.
The Project
Alberta’s water bodies are a precious resource, and their regulation and proper management is essential for, among other things, safe drinking water, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and watershed resiliency. This second publication in the Environmental Law Centre’s Municipalities and Environmental Law Series explores when and how municipalities can regulate the water bodies within their boundaries.
Report: Municipal Management of Water Bodies
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Environmental Law Centre
Status
Development of this publication began with the Municipalities and Environmental Law information series in Fall of 2016, and was completed in
April 2018
Supporters
Max Bell Foundation
Anonymous Foundation
How Municipalities Apply Environmental Reserve in Alberta
How Municipalities Apply Environmental Reserve in Alberta: A White Paper
A discussion paper to inform municipal planners on how environmental reserve is applied in Alberta and observations on the implications of the new Conservation Reserve tool to ER
The Issue / Idea
How has environmental reserve been interpreted and applied in Alberta? And, did this change with the new conservation reserve tool enabled under the Municipal Government Act?
The Project
To respond to the issue, the Miistakis Institute distributed a survey to understand the municipal application of environmental reserve. The survey was distributed through APPI, AUMA and AAMDC.
Using the outcomes of the survey as a starting point, a discussion paper was developed to provide context for environmental reserve, what the intent is in the MGA, and comments on how it is interpreted and used by municipalities. The paper concludes with a comparison of the previous MGA and the modernized MGA environmental reserve policies, and observations on how the new conservation reserve tool may affect environmental reserve application by municipalities.
Environmental Reserve in Alberta: Discussion Paper
Conservation Reserve Resources
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Status
This research began in Fall 2016 and was completed in
October 2017
Supporters
Max Bell Foundation
Anonymous Foundation